The Black Shades

Genre: Rock
Secondary Genre: Pop Bowling Green, Kentucky USA Contact

Combining danceable grooves with old school rock licks and wailing guitar solos, the Black Shades create their own sound, which lands them smack dab between the White Stripes and Bowie, with a dash of the Cure. Driving rhythms collide with rockabilly licks, and just when you think you've got them pegged, they hit you with a hook that'll be stuck inside your head long after the last note has faded.

Artist Information

Biography

Having charted at 300+ college stations in the US and Canada INDEPENDENTLY on the CMJ Top 200 and playing 200+ live shows in both 2010 and 2011, The Black Shades are up and coming indie radio darlings that have an accessible garage-pop sound and the ambitious live show to match. You want them, they want you and they have no intentions of letting up in 2012.

The Black Shades have made notable festival appearances alongside headlining acts Daniel Johnston & Cage The Elephant (Starry Nights Festival), The Walkmen (Las Vegas' Neon Reverb Festival) and Diplo (Close the Edge Festival), 3 consecutive showcase nights during SXSW in Austin, CMJ, Halifax Pop Explosion, Midpoint Music Festival and Launch Music Festival.

College and independent radio have been very receptive to "Told Ya So", the current release, and the exposure for this band has been magnified with a rigorous radio campaign that has landed them on CMJ’s top 200 for 10+ weeks, for the second time.

Recently, The Black Shades signed 12 television licenses in addition to their radio/live exposure and expect to have music appear on huge-viewership shows like MTV's The Real World, E!'s Keeping up with the Kardashians, and FOX Sports in the fall.

Instrumentation

Chuck Falcon - guitars, VOX, theremin
Michael Thomas - Bass, VOX
Jerry Kessinger - Drums

Discography

Current Release: Told Ya So

This release has been distributed to 300+ college radio stations across the United States as of March 2012 and is available for digital download, as well.

This release stayed on the CMJ charts for over 10 weeks.
Other Releases:

We are the Black Shades (CMJ top 200 album)
"The Hot Rod Root" Single
Starry Nights Sampler CD/EP
"You Are My Spider" single
"Little Luv" single

Our single "The Hot Rod Root" is used in local television commercials and we have been featured on local radio stations across Kentucky and Tennessee. Additionally, as mentioned in the bio, The Black Shades have recently signed 12 television licenses and expect their music to appear in a variety of large-viewership shows on major network like MTV, E, VH1, and Fox.

Official Website

http://www.theblackshades.com

Links

Audio

Video

Live From Bad Racket - The Black Shades

The Black Shades -Back Burner-.mp4

Photo Gallery

  • Jerry beats those drums.

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Press

  • I might cry at how absolutely amazing this [+ Show ]

    I might cry at how absolutely amazing this is. Told Ya So is punk rock wrapped in catchy lyrics and ...

  • Bowling Green music you need to know about: The Black Shades [+ Show ]

    May God have mercy on your soul if you stumble into a Black Shades show unprepared. Story time. S...

  • The Black Shades: Now Hear This [+ Show ]

    As Kentucky’s The Black Shades tell it, they formed out of sheer necessity. In their own “wild minds...

  • Made In Shades [+ Show ]

    If Aaron Clark has his way, the Corvette won't be the only sleek design associated with Bowling Gree...

  • The Black Shades: “Told Ya So” [+ Show ]

    A strong and rocking blues EP. It probably comes as no surprise that The Black Shades sound remarka...

  • MPMF.11 Day 2: Downtown Takeover [+ Show ]

    ??At Below Zero, I caught The Black Shades’ set. A four piece from Bowling Green, Ky., the guitar pl...

  • The Black Shades [+ Show ]

    The Black Shades are the kind of high-energy band you can’t help but love. From Bowling Green, Ky., ...

  • Vents Interviews: The Black Shades [+ Show ]

    How did you get started with all this?? The Black Shades formed when the frontman Aaron Clark, and t...

  • The Black Shades: They Won't Disappoint You [+ Show ]

    The Black Shades will not disappoint you. It is that simple. Comprised of Frontman Aaron Clark...

  • The Black Shades : The Kind of Band You Want to Play at Your Next Party [+ Show ]

    The Black Shades are the kind of band you’d want to play at your next party; they’re high energy, fu...

  • Black Shades Making Big Noise in the South [+ Show ]

    Black Shades Making Big Noise in the South If you asked the question, “What would Bowie, Mott the...

  • The Black Shades to Louisville: Review! [+ Show ]

    The Black Shades are a four piece band from Bowling Green KY, releasing their third EP, We Are The B...

  • ARTIST EXPOSURE: THE BLACK SHADES [+ Show ]

    The Black Shades are an alternative rock band with a heavy dose of real hard-hitting rock n’ roll. A...

  • Song of the Day 102FMX Podcast [+ Show ]

    Selected Song of the Day via 102FMX podcast. Large scale featured photo, distributed to podcast sub...

  • Exploding in Sound Presents: In Case of Evacuation [+ Show ]

    Bowling Green’s The Black Shades have made a debut EP that serves up many different styles and moods...

  • Concert Court: The Black Shades [+ Show ]

    "It's upbeat, danceable, and clever...Throw in the mix some classic rock, some funk, some Jack Whi...

  • Mr. Chaka's Song of The Day "Gimme Action" by The Black Shades [+ Show ]

    I’m so proud of my town. There’s so much great local music. We’re on day four of the Local Music Wee...

  • “Told Ya So” by The Black Shades [+ Show ]

    With clever lines and a sound that says “come see us live,” the four-track album “Told Ya So” by The...

Setlist

Tuff Luv
Gimmie Action
Told Ya So
I've Got You
Bread n' Butter
Into The Dark My Love
Pieces and Parts



Basic Requirements


Calendar

There are no upcoming dates at this time.